Salih's central takeaway from Murakami: recasting real threats and difficulties as metaphors (a small Commendatore in the corner) makes them less overwhelming.
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- Murakami helped Salih cope with threatening people
Salih says certain people in his life felt like threats, and turning them into Murakami-style metaphors made them much easier to cope with. Reading Murakami also changed his habits: he now…
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If you have something menacing in your life, just imagine this is a small Commendatore sitting in the corner trying to threaten you, but actually it's not real. You see it, but you don't need to take it too seriously.
- Metaphors shrink what menaces you
Recasting a real threat as a metaphor (seeing it, but not taking it too seriously) makes it easier to cope with; this is the most practical gift of Murakami's fiction.
- Turn threats into metaphors
When a person or situation feels menacing, picture it as a Murakami-style metaphor (a small Commendatore in the corner) so you can see it without taking it too seriously.